(The Center Square) – A Georgia woman accused of leading a scheme to defraud retailers of up to $300,000 through fake refunds entered a plea of no contest, Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday.
Santina Green, of Decatur, Georgia, entered a plea of no contest to racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and fraud charges.
More than $50,000 was stolen from stores located in Florida, according to the attorney general’s office. Green targeted TJX Companies Inc. stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods. Nine debit cards were linked to 84 fraudulent transactions in Florida.
Green was identified as the primary suspect and was linked to co-subjects Albert Junior Boyce, Jr., Diana Rochelle Harris, and David Lee Griffin.
The group’s scheme revolved around purchasing expensive area rugs valued between $400 and $1,000 and keeping the receipt after doing an immediate “change-of-mind” return. They would then use the receipt or a duplicate at other store locations to return lower-quality rugs they’d bought elsewhere, forging a “silent price coding” to make the products seem genuine, Uthmeier said.
Multiple refunds could be run using one receipt before it got flagged.
The case brought in witnesses from Pasco County, Sarasota County, and Miami-Dade County as well as Massachusetts, Virginia, and England.
“This conviction holds a fraudster accountable for leading a sophisticated racketeering scheme that stole hundreds of thousands of dollars across multiple states,” said Uthmeier. “Thanks to FDLE and our statewide prosecutors, this organized fraud ring has been stopped. We will continue our fight against retail fraud to protect Florida businesses and keep prices down for families.”
Investigators uncovered multiple aliases Green used during the scheme, which was run from November 2020 through May 2021. She faces up to 75 years in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for August 3, according to the attorney general’s office.